Collaborative Projects with General Electric Medical Systems

CT Scanners
The Department of Radiology's Digital Imaging Section, under the leadership of W. Dennis Foley, MD, has a long-term, highly productive program of development, clinical validation, and introduction of advanced CT scanners working with the General Electric Medical Systems.

The most recent development, that of the 64-slice, multi-detector, ultra-fast helical CT scanner promises to be a revolutionary step in applying computed tomography to areas where it has never previously been fully effective. The areas include: Advanced vascular imaging, including coronary arteries and peripheral vessels, and very high definition, isotropic multiplanar imaging.

The Medical College of Wisconsin Radiology Department enjoys world-wide recognition for the products of this collaboration, and has occupied this position for decades.

Diffusion-tensor Magnet ResonanceJohn L. Ulmer, MD, Professor of Radiology (Neuroradiology), is directing a program in collaboration with engineers at General Electric aimed at using diffusion-tensor magnet resonance imaging to identify and localize functional tracts in the brain. This will allow areas of critical function in the cortex of the brain, as well as the communication pathways within the brain, to be defined and allow brain-sparing and function-sparing surgery to be accurately planned.

Next Generation X-Ray Room
The Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Radiology and General Electric Healthcare are evaluating the next generation direct digital x-ray room, which will allow radiographs to be performed and transmitted directly to screens without the need for intervening separate detector cassettes or film.

The next stage of this project will involve advanced image processing, such as tomosynthesis in settings like the emergency room. This will represent the next generation of the conventional x-ray machine, and is under on-site evaluation at Froedtert Hospital on campus.